Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/480

 4 64 ODRYSAE cannot be expected to li.ive had many towns ; and in fact we find none mentioned either by Thucydides or Xenophon. The first of their towns recorded is Philippopolis, founded by Philip II. of Jlace- donia, as there will be occasion to relate in the se- quel; and it may be presumed that all their towns of any importance were built after they had lost their independence. The name of the Odrysae first occurs in history in connection with the expedition of Dareius Hy- staspis against the Scythians. (Herod. /. c.) Whilst the Persians oppressed the southern parts of Thrace, the Odrysians, protected by their moun- tains, retained their independence; and the strength which they thus acquired enabled Teres to in- corporate many Thracian tribes with his subjects. He extended his kiii.f^dom to the Euxine in spite of a signal defeat which he sustained in that quarter from the Thyni_ (Xen. Anab. vii. 2. § 22); and the dominion of his son Sitalces embraoed the {rreater part of Thrace; having been bounded on the N. bv the Danube, and extending from Abdera on the W. to the Euxine on the E. (Thucyd. ii. 96—98.) Indeed, so powerful was this monarch that his al- liance was eagerly courted both by the Athenians and Lacedaemonians at the breaking out of the Peluponiiesian War. (Thuc3'd. ii. 29 ; Herod, vii. 137 ; Aristoph. Acharn. 136 — 150.) The expe- dition wliiih he undertook in b. c. 429, at the in- stance of the Athenians, and of Aniyntas, pretender to the throne of Macedonia, against Perdiccas II., the reigning sovereign of that country, is also a striking proof of the power of the Odrysians at that period ; as the army which Sitalces assembled on that occasion amounted, on the lowest estimate, to 150,000 men, of which one-third were cavalry. (Thuc. ii. 98; Diod. xii. 50.) For the latter force, indeed, the Odrysians were renowned, and the ex- tensive plains of the Hebrus afforded pasture for an excellent breed of liorses. (Thuc. /. c. ; Polyb. xxiv. 6; Liv. xliv. 42.) With this army Sitalces overran Chalcidice, Anthemus, Crestonia, and Myg- donia ; but the non-appearance of the Athenian contingent, coupled with the approach of winter, obliged him hastily to retire after a month's cam- paign. In 15. c. 424 Sitalces fell in an engagement with theTriballi, and was succeeded by his nephew Seuthes I. Under his reign the Odrysians attained the highest pitch of their power and prosperity. Their yearly revenue amounted to 400 talents, be- sides an equal sum in the shape of presents and contributions. (Thuc. ii. 97, iv. 101.) But from this period the power of the Odrysians began sen- sibly to wane. After the death of Seuthes we find his dominions divided among three sovereigns. ]Iedocus, or Aniadocus, who was most probably his son, ruled the ancient seat of the monarchy ; Mae- sades, brother of Medocus, reigned over the Thyni, Jlelanditae, and Tranipsae; whilst the region above I'yzantium called the Delta was governed by Teres. (Xen. Anab. vii. 2. § 32, vii. 5. § 1.) It was in the reign of ^ledocus that Xenophon and the Ten Tliousaid passed through Thrace on their return from the Persian expedition, and helped to restore Seuthes, .son of the exiled Maesades, to his do- minions. We gather from this writer that Seuthes exercised only a subordinate power under Medocus, with the title of Archon, or governor, of the Coast (vii. 3. § 16). Subsequently, however, he appears to have asserted his claim to an independent sove- reignty, and to have waged open war with Medocus, ODRYSAE. till they were reconciled and gained over to the Athenian alliance by Thrasybulus. (Xen. Hell. iv. 8. § 25 ; Diod. xiv. 94.) When we next hear of the Odrysians, we find them engaged in hos- tilities with the Athenians respecting the Thracian Chersonese. This was under their king Cotys I., who reigned from b. c. 382 to 353. It was in the reign of the same monarch (b. c. 376) that the Triballi invaded their territories, and penetrated as far as Abdera. (Diod. xv. 36.) When Cerso- bleptes, tlie son and successor of Cotys, ascended the throne, the Odrysians appear to have still retained possession of the country as far as the coast of the Euxine. But a civil war soon broke out between that monarch and Berisades and Amadocus, who were probably his brothers, and to whom Cotys had left some portions of his kingdom. The Athenians availed themselves of these dis.sensions to gain pos- session of the Chersonese, which appears to have been finally ceded to them in b. c. 357. (Diod. xvi. 34.) But a much more fatal blow to the power of the Odrysians was struck by Philip II. of JIacedon. After nine or terr years of warf:ire, Piiilip at last succeeded (b. c. 343) in conquering them, and reducing them to the condition of tributaries. (Diod. xvi. 71 ; Dem. de Chers. p. 105.) The exact nature of their relations with Philip cannot be ascertained ; but that their subjugation must have been complete appears from the fact of his having founded colonies in their territory, especially Philippopolis, on the right bank of the Hebrus, and in the very heart of their ancient seat. Tiieir sub- jection is further shown by the circumstance of their cavalry being mentioned as serving in the army of Alexander under Agalhon, son of Tyrimmas. (Arrian, iii. 12. § 4.) But a still more decisive proof is, that after Alexander's lieutenant Zophyrio had been defeated by the Getae, the Odrysians were incited by their king, Seuthes III., to rebel against the JIacedonians. (Curt. x. 1. § 45 ; Justin, xii. 1.) After the death of Alexander, Seuthes took the field against Lysiniachus, to whom Thrace had devolved, with an army of 20,000 foot and 8000 horse, — a sad fi^lling off from the forces formerly arrayed by Sitalces. (Diod. xviii. 14 ; Pans. i. 9. § 6.) The struggle with Lysimachus was carried on with varied success. Under Philip V. of Jla- cedon, the Odrysians were still in a state of revolt. In B.C. 211 that monarch assembled an army with the ostensible design of marching to the relief of Byzantium, but in reality to overawe the malcontent chieftains of Thrace. (Liv. xxxix. 35.) In 183 we find Philip undertaking an expedition against the Odrysians, Dentheletae, and Bessi. He suc- ceeded in taking Phiiippopolis, which the inhabit- ants deserted at his approach, and where he esta- blished a garrison, which was expelled shortly after his departure. (Liv. xxxix. 53 ; Polyb. Ex. Leg. xlviii.) It may be assumed from Livy that on this occasion the Odrysians wei'e supported in their re- volt by the Romans (xlii. 19, xlv. 42). After the fall of the ]Iacedonian kingdom, the Odrysians ap- pear to have been treated with consideration by the Romans, who employed them as useful allies against the newly-conquered districts, as well as against the other Thracian tribes; amongst whom the Bessi had now raised themselves to some im- portance. After this period the history of the Odrysians is for some time involved in obscurity, though they were doubtless gradually falling more and more under the Roman dominion. In the year